Statement of The Honorable J. Brett Blanton

Architect of the Capitol 

Architect of the Capitol 

J. Brett Blanton

Statement before the Subcommittee on Legislative Branch, 

Committee on Appropriations, United States House of Representatives

Hearing on Health and Wellness of Employees and State of Damage and Preservation 

as a Result of January 6, 2021

February 24, 2021
Statement before the Subcommittee on Legislative Branch,

Committee on Appropriations, United States House of Representatives

1

Chairman Ryan, Ranking Member Herrera Beutler, and members of the subcommittee, I appreciate 

the opportunity to speak with you today about the Architect of the Capitol’s (AOC) response efforts 

following the January 6, 2021 U.S. Capitol building breach. 

The events of January 6 were difficult for the American people, and extremely hard for all of us on 

campus to witness. As we continue to deal with the shock and disappointment of the actions of 

those who chose to attack the U.S. Capitol Building, I remain proud of and encouraged by the 

professionalism displayed by the AOC team in the face of this dangerous and stressful event.

On January 6, members of my team were preparing the grounds and the inauguration stage. The day 

was bright and clear, and our artists were excited to finish painting the stands a bright white with a 

deep blue edging on the main stage of the platform. At about mid-day, as crowds began to appear 

on the West Front, our staff was moved indoors. Over the course of a couple of hours, the hard 

work of our team was destroyed. The platform was wrecked, there was broken glass and other 

debris, sound systems and photography equipment was damaged beyond repair or stolen, two 

historic Olmsted lanterns were ripped from the ground, and the wet blue paint was tracked all over 

the historic stone balustrades and Capitol Building hallways. 

As the crowd began crashing through windows and prying open doors, my staff undertook several 

amazing actions in support of Congress. AOC employees sheltered congressional staff in their shops 

to protect them from the roving mob, other members of our team raced to the roof to reverse the 

airflows within the building to help clear the air of chemical irritants, like bear repellents and pepper 

spray, while more team members rushed bottles of water and eye wash stations to Capitol Police 

officers in need of assistance. 

As an agency, we served as a shining light of hope that day and in the days following the 

insurrection. As soon as security officials cleared the building breach, AOC employees worked 

tirelessly to cleanup and begin repair work. Carpenters covered open windows and doors with 

plywood to help secure the building, laborers began sweeping up glass and broken furniture to 

enable Congress to continue its work, our groundskeepers cleared a small mountain of debris left 

behind on the West and East Fronts. And our painters carefully repainted the platform. We were 

committed to, and ensured that, the Electoral College certification process could continue on 

January 6th. Furthermore, we were sharply focused on ensuring the campus was prepared for the 

presidential inauguration without interruption to signal our nation’s determination to support a 

peaceful transition of power.

At this time, our teams also began to carefully assess the damage to the historic building and 

grounds. The initial assessment is that most of the damage – in areas maintained by the AOC – on 

the interior and envelope of the building was broken glass, broken doors and graffiti. Statues, 

murals, historic benches and original shutters all suffered varying degrees of damage, primarily from 

pepper spray accretions and residue from chemical irritants and fire extinguishers. This damage to 

our precious artwork and statues will require expert cleaning and conservation.
Statement before the Subcommittee on Legislative Branch,

Committee on Appropriations, United States House of Representatives

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Though much work remains to be done, I am also mindful of the stress that the event has had on 

my employees. Common reactions to situations such as these include stress, anxiety and depression. 

The safety and personal health of AOC employees is my highest priority. 

I am committed to making sure the agency continues to provide the necessary support services 

through our Employee Assistance Program (EAP), which is free, voluntary and confidential.

Employees have access to trained staff counselors through EAP. They can also use TalkNow, which 

offers AOC employees immediate, 24/7 telephonic access to confidential, in-the-moment 

counseling support delivered by qualified behavioral health professionals, with no appointment 

necessary. In addition, many of the resources from the House Wellness Center and the House 

Office of Employee Assistance are available to AOC employees. This service includes a variety of 

professional support services and resources to address the needs of individual employees and their 

family members, as well as the concerns of the greater organization and its managers.

In the weeks following the building breach, we also hosted an “Office Hours” employee session to 

provide a venue for all employees to share their concerns, ask questions and hear directly from our 

Director of EAP and the agency’s Ombudsman. We are also planning proactive group counseling 

for our tradesmen, support staff and artists directly impacted by January 6. 

Looking ahead, there will be many discussions about the security of the campus. The AOC has 

assembled a team of highly specialized professionals to treat and maintain the Capitol’s historic 

fabric and artworks. The Appropriations Committees approved a transfer request of $30,000,000 

that will address the AOC’s expenses incurred to date and extend the temporary perimeter fencing 

contract through March 31. 

Since January 6, the AOC has ensured that all available security-related resources be used to support 

the required emergency security costs, including temporary perimeter fencing and support for the 

National Guard. While this transfer addresses some of this need, expenses that we know are 

forthcoming are unfunded. Additional resources will also be needed should the elevated security 

posture of the campus extend past March 31. 

In addition, I respectfully request the committee’s assistance to pursue funding for a campus-wide, 

comprehensive facility security assessment that coordinates previous studies and other ongoing 

reviews or assessments. My professional opinion is that this study is critical to the overall safety of 

the Capitol facilities, and ultimately, members of congress and their staffs. I apprediate your support 

and look forward to working with you on this effort.

The events of January 6 were stark reminders that institutional biases, priorities and actions taken 

out-of-sync with actionable data resulted in poor decisions. If we do not learn from these mistakes, 

the campus will continue to remain vulnerable to unknown and unexpected threats. History teaches 

us that project costs for replacements and repairs beyond in-kind improvements across campus will 

be considerable and beyond the scope of the current budgetary environment. The agency’s facility 

security assessment is a pre-requisite to considering any new project work. We owe it to taxpayers to 

accurately and adequately address campus needs in coordination with all appropriate entities as 

proposed in the assessment. 
Statement before the Subcommittee on Legislative Branch,

Committee on Appropriations, United States House of Representatives

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Many members have asked about preservation of damaged items as a remberance of this sad day. 

We have identified damaged materials from that day, and those were turned over to the Department 

of Justice. For safety reasons, the AOC is replacing broken windows and doors. For example, we 

have removed the damaged glass in the windows in the historic Columbus Doors on the East Front, 

however, we preserved the panels for a potential presentation or display. 

Several have asked about what did I know, as a Capitol Police Board member, about the events of 

January 6. Leading up to the 6th, I participated in a “Law Enforcement Partners Inauguration 

Briefing: hosted by Chief Steven Sund, USCP.” During the inauguration briefing, then-Chief Sund 

mentioned the expected rally near the White House but there were no actionable intelligence or 

credible threats shared at that meeting. In terms of support for USCP, as I have shared previously, 

then-chief Sund did not reach out to the Architect of the Capitol with a request for an emergency 

declaration or interest seeking National Guard support in advance of the breach. Then-Chief Sund 

confirmed in his February 1, 2021 letter to Speaker Pelosi that he engaged in conversations with 

other members of the Board – House and Senate Sergents at Arms – but no such coversation 

occurred with me or any AOC employee involved in Board matters. In addition, the AOC has no 

record of the January 3 intel briefing cited in the media and by Acting Chief Pittman. 

Finally, concerning the overall safety of the Capitol campus, I would be remiss if I did not mention 

our commitment toward ensuring that adequate measures are taken to mitigate the threat of 

COVID-19 pandemic across the Capitol campus. In the spirit of full-transparency, I have worked 

with the subcommittee staff to provide accurate cost updates to continue our COVID-19 response 

efforts. Other than our initial installment of funding, which is fully obligated, the AOC has been 

forced to use our critical infrastructure and security project funding to support Congress at a service 

level required for enhanced cleaning and PPE. I ask for your support for our requested security and 

COVID-19 funding. 

Since becoming Architect of the Capitol a little over one year ago, I have continually been impressed 

and inspired by the great work of this agency. We have been in pandemic operations for nearly a 

year, we supported three lying in state and honor ceremonies and prepared for a presidental 

inauguration. I am honored to lead a team whose extraordinary efforts on January 6, and the days 

that followed, helped Americans of all walks of life take solace in seeing order restored to the U.S. 

Capitol. We would appreciate your support to ensure that we are positioned to address the on-going 

and future facility needs, in addition to the health and wellness of our incredible employees.